Future Love
by PhoenixRoseQueenToo
Summary: Who says that you have to have actually met the girl of your dreams to know that she's it?


Carlos grinned, having just finished telling Kendall and Logan about what he liked to call his "Great Dream." He nodded, full of excitement for finally revealing this to his friends, and the straps of his helmet flew wildly. However, the other two boys only exchanged skeptical looks. Then they burst into huge fits of laughter. Carlos's face fell as he looked on in confusion. Shouldn't they be just as happy as he was? Then he realized that they were making fun of him.

"Guys stop it, I'm serious!" Carlos threw one of the bright orange couch pillows at the pair of them, pouting.

"Okay, okay, we know," started Logan as he tried to calm down.

"Which makes it even funnier!" Kendall cut in, causing the two to laugh harder. Carlos threw one of the beanbag chairs this time; the only result was that Kendall fell over into Logan's lap, gripping his sides.

"Okay, okay, we're done," Logan announced moments later, as the door to apartment 2J opened. Carlos looked up to see James strolling in from tanning at the pool.

"We're done what?" He asked, setting his water bottle, towel, and 'Cuda Tanning Spray on the breakfast bar.

"Being mean to me," cried Carlos.

"Making fun of Carlos," Kendall admitted with an unapologetic grin.

"That doesn't sound very nice... why?" James sat on the couch beside Kendall.

"Go ahead," prompted Kendall. "Tell him." Carlos suddenly felt very defensive and irritated. Kendall, Logan, and James were supposed to be his best friends, his brothers even. But Carlos also knew that brothers had a way of getting under the skin; he had three _real_ brothers back at home.

"No, it's fine," Carlos removed himself from the couch to go... somewhere. Anywhere but the apartment.

"No, seriously, I want to know," James stood and placed a hand on Carlos's chest to stop him from moving. Although James was smiling, Carlos knew that it wasn't teasing - yet - just curious. It was how Kendall and Logan kept chuckling and smirking that bothered Carlos the most. "Why are they making fun of you, buddy?" Carlos sighed. He hated when James used that gentle big-brother tone with that kind look in his eyes and that word, "_buddy."_ It wasn't fair, James knew he could get _anything_ out of Carlos with that combination.

"Okay, so you see, I've been having this dream, only it's not a dream. Sort of. It's more of a daydream! And there's this girl. She's just so beautiful and it feels absolutely perfect when I hold even just her hand. And we're always doing so many fun things and I just _know_ that this is going to be the girl I fall in love with!" Carlos finished his explanation happily, falling onto the couch with a dreamy smile, cuddling a pillow. He recalled going on dates to movies and beaches and parks, playing with her hair while they talked, how it felt to wrap his arms around her... But when he looked back at James, there was a hint of amusement in the upturn of his lips and the corners of his eyes. Glancing at Kendall and Logan, he saw that they were fighting giggles again.

"Okay, Carlos," James sat back down, this time beside Logan, closer to Carlos. "So what you're telling me... is that you're in love?" Carlos nodded enthusiastically. "Okay. Who is she, have we met her? Is she one of the Jennifers?"

"No," Carlos shook his head this time. "She _outshines_ the Jennifers."

"Oh, that's serious then... What's her name?"

"No idea,"

"Alright... what's she look like?" Carlos opened his mouth but James cut him off with a raised hand. "Uhn-uh. _Describe_ her. Hair, eyes, height, whatever." This one gave Carlos slight pause, since whenever he thought about _her,_ the only words he knew were _beautiful, gorgeous,_ or _flawless._ He didn't think he should need anything else.

"I don't know," he admitted, "I just know that looks perfect," James stared at Carlos for a moment.

"Do you even actually know her?"

"No." Carlos sighed. "But that's what I'm trying to explain! I'm _waiting_ for her."

Slowly, James started shaking his head, and before long he was laughing, only not as hard as Kendall and Logan. Once again, Carlos started getting irritated. Why weren't any of his friends _supporting_ him like they aught to? Carlos supported Kendall through his break up with Jo and the whole Lucy situation! And when James had wanted to date Lucy, Carlos always tried to help him get her attention! And whenever Logan and Camille were having issues, Carlos had an open ear, even if Logan never took his advice. Why was it so hard for _them_ to be here for Carlos now?

"I'm sorry buddy," James apologized through his chuckles, "but that's just... It's just sounds... I'm - that - sounds so..."

"Idiotic?" provided Logan.

"Hilarious?" tried Kendall.

"Far-fetched?"

"Random?"

"Unlikely?"

"Ridiculous?"

"All of it," agreed James, laughing harder. Whether it was because of Kendall and Logan's exchange or Carlos's story, Carlos couldn't tell. His eyes narrowed into an uncharacteristic glare.

"Okay, fine!" He shouted, getting up and throwing the other beanbag chair at his so-called best friends. "So I may not know her _name_ or _what she looks like,_ and I've never actually _met her,_ but that's the _point!_ When I do finally find her and meet her I'll just _know_ it's her! And it will be that much more magical! We'll fall in love and live happily ever after!" Kendall, Logan, and James laughed even harder if that was possible.

"But _how_ will you know?" James choked out.

"Yeah, you couldn't even tell when Gustavo paid a girl to be your girlfriend," Logan pointed out.

"And you've claimed to be in love with the Jennifers for three years now," added Kendall.

_"I just will,_" Carlos growled.

"Sure," Kendall, Logan, and James agreed. With another glare and a growl, Carlos stormed out of the apartment and through the lobby, not even pausing to watch the Jennifers' slow-motion strut as they passed.

When the guys put it like _that,_ sure it all sounded stupid, being in love with a girl he doesn't know and has never seen. But none of them had his daydream. They didn't feel how Carlos felt. they didn't experience that content from holding her close, or that joy from making her smile, or the amazement that she returned his feelings, even in a dream. They didn't know. So it wasn't fair for them to judge and make fun of him.

Carlos guessed that he might have been a bit afraid to share his daydream with the guys for just this reason. He'd started having it weeks ago, but kept it to himself. If Kendall hadn't noticed and asked Carlos why he was grinning so much today, Carlos's secret - and feelings - might still be safe.

"We'll see if I ever tell them anything else," Carlos mumbled to himself.

There were a lot of people in the park today, Carlos realized. Way more than there normally were. Looking around he noticed that some sort of festival had been set up, with craft tables, vendors, and games set up in one of the large fields. The smell of barbeque met his nose and Carlos's mood instantly improved as he forgot why he was so upset with his friends. Instead, be began to wonder how fast he could get back to the Palm Woods and convince the guys to do the bungee race with him.

Carlos turned around, ready to run, until a group of teenagers caught his attention. They were gathered near the sidewalk, and as Carlos game closer, he started to hear of a pounding rhythm, like when some kids back in Minnesota would bang fists and ink pens against the school desks when the teacher was out. The crowd wasn't exactly large, but whatever they were watching was blocked from where Carlos stood. Curious, he joined and stood at the edge of the crowd. They were watching two girls and a guy dance to the beat two more guys pounded on a picnic table. Carlos watched them for a moment, amazed at how well they moved, and wishing that Big Time Rush could dance like they did. He didn't really care a whole much about dancing, but if he could look like _that,_ Carlos might rethink his opinion.

The guy flipped while the girls did a couple of spins that sent their hair flying, then went into a final pose. The rhythm stopped and the group applauded, but Carlos paused.

That was her.

That was _her._

Her dark brown hair fell in thick, tight, wild curls, past her shoulders. Carlos already found himself wanting twist his fingers in it. There were a few strands that fell in her face, a pretty contrast to her skin which was only a few shades lighter, and directed Carlos's attention to her eyes. They were bright and wide and so expressive that he wanted to learn every emotion they could display. Her grin was just so pretty and adorable, and she had the cutest dimples.

Carlos didn't know what it was, but like he told James only fifteen minutes ago, _he just knew._ It was the way he couldn't take his eyes off the girl in the lime green cut-off t-shirt. The way the crowd disappeared and the other two dancers faded from his sight. It was the funny way Carlos felt inside when he thought that she might have looked his way for just one second. It was the way he felt so eager to talk to her and get to know her, but still so scared to even approach her because Carlos wasn't sure he was ready for her. If he even deserved her.

A second later, he shook off that notion. She was here, _right now_ for a reason. Carlos just had to step up and go for it. Not to mention, he wanted to prove Kendall, Logan and James wrong.

The guy, who seemed to be the leader, thanked everyone for watching. The crowd begged for another dance, but the other girl, one with long, red-dyed hair and slightly tanned skin had to go home. They all started leaving then, and Carlos chose then to rush forward and tap the girl once, on her shoulder. When she looked up at him, Carlos found himself suddenly nervous again.

"Um. Hi," Carlos smiled and waved shyly, slightly panicking on the inside.

"Hi," the girl smiled back. Her voice was unique, airy, almost like it was afraid of actually being heard.

"I... can I... talk to you?" Her eyebrows rose, but she nodded and strolled a few feet from her friends, the guy dancer and two table-drummers watching them curiously. Carlos hoped that one of them wasn't her boyfriend or older brother or something.

When they stopped, Carlos turned back to her again. "Hi..." he was at a loss of what to actually say.

"Hey," she laughed and he was glad she didn't get annoyed like the Jennifers did. Carlos decided that he liked this girls' laugh.

"Um - I - what's your name?" it only just occurred to Carlos that he didn't know her name.

"Jarelle." she told him in that airy way, so it sounded more like "Jah-ray-elle."

"Jarelle..." he tried it out. Suddenly, Carlos knew exactly what to say. "Hi, Jarelle," he still felt nervous, but was growing more comfortable with her. With _Jarelle._ "I'm Carlos. You don't really know me, and I just met you, but... one day I'm going to fall in love with you, and I... I hope you're okay with that?"

Jarelle stared at Carlos for a moment, for so long that Carlos began to think that maybe he went about this all wrong. But then she giggled. And everything seemed fine again.

"That's not the strangest thing anyone's ever told me," Jarelle pushed her wild hair from her face. "And I think you're kind of cute to say that, so come on," Jarelle grabbed Carlos's wrist, pulling him towards the festival. "You can't fall in love with me if you don't know me."


End file.
